22 August 2011Last updated at 12:57

In pictures: Pensthorpe garden opens after redesign

View of the lake in the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

Pensthorpe Nature Reserve, near Fakenham, reopened its Millennium Garden on Saturday, 20 August 2011, following an extensive replanting that has taken place over the past two winters.

Piet Oudolf in the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve which he designed

The garden was designed by influential Dutch horticulturist Piet Oudolf and was originally planted in 1999. Following 10 years of growth in the garden Mr Oudolf was asked back to help with the redesign.

Renowned for his bold designs in which he pays more attention to the structure of the plants he picks than the colour, he has designed gardens around the world including in Chicago and New York.

View of a path and flowering border in the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

Mr Oudolf said: "It's more difficult to re-do a garden than to do it from scratch, so we had to walk around for two days and see what was out of scale and what we should replace."

View of flowering plants in the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

Mr Oudolf said: "We wanted to give it a new touch so we rescaled the garden. We put big groups back to where they were in the beginning and added new varieties and that gave it a new spirit and a new face."

Close up of a flower and a bee in the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

Mr Oudolf was given free reign with his design, the only specification being that it should flower in late summer, the time when most people visit the attraction.

View of colourful flowers in the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

The garden features a striking array of colourful perennials and grasses and is a popular spot for butterflies and a hunting ground for food for many varieties of bird.

View of structural grasses in the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

As well as featuring the Millennium Garden, Pensthorpe is a nature reserve and recognised as a breeding site for many bird species of limited distribution.

Pensthorpe served as the home of BBC Springwatch between 2008 and 2010, with the nature programme being broadcast live from the reserve.

Norfolk

In pictures: Pensthorpe garden opens after redesign

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